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1.
Small ; 20(31): e2310200, 2024 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38497491

ABSTRACT

A new form of pancake bouncing is discovered in this work when a droplet impacts onto micro-structured superhydrophobic surfaces in an environment pressure less than 2 kPa, and an unprecedented reduction of contact time by ≈85% is obtained. The mechanisms of forming this unique phenomenon are examined by combining experimental observation, numeical modelling and an improved theoretical model for the overpressure effect arising from the vaporisation inside micro-scaled structures. The competition among the vapor overpressure effect, the droplet impact force, and the surface adhesion determines if the pancake bouncing behavior could occur. After the lift-off the lamella, the pancake bouncing is initiated and its subsequent dynamics is controlled by the internal momentum transfer. Complementary to the prior studies, this work enriches the knowledge of droplet dynamics in low pressure, which allows new strategies of surface morphology engineering for droplet control, an area of high importance for many engineering applications.

2.
J Sports Sci ; : 1-10, 2024 Sep 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39317922

ABSTRACT

The stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) has been classified into fast (<250 ms) and slow (>250 ms) groups based on ground contact time (GCT) threshold values. However, there are gaps in the literature on how the 250 ms threshold value was found and which variables affect it. The purpose of this study is to validate the 250 ms threshold by investigating the factors affecting this threshold. For this purpose, force-time variables during a drop jump (DJ) with a force plate and achilles tendon (AT) muscle-tendon unit mechanical properties using shear-wave elastography in 46 recreationally active men were analysed. A regression tree analysis was conducted using R studio to classify GCT with correlated variables (p < 0.05). The new GCT threshold values (GCT < 188 ms, 188 ≤ GCT < 222 ms and GCT ≥ 222 ms) were found according to the lowest root mean square error of approximation value (0.1985) at reactive strength index. Comparisons of GCT groups showed significant differences in force, time, power variables and AT length (p < 0.05). AT length is the main variable differentiating GCT groups: Short AT results in a short GCT and long AT results in a long GCT. This study reveals that SSC can be classified into three groups using new GCT threshold values, offering a new perspective for SSC assessment.

3.
J Environ Manage ; 353: 120203, 2024 Feb 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38325285

ABSTRACT

Biofiltration utilizes natural mechanisms including biodegradation and biotransformation along with other physical processes for the removal of organic micropollutants (OMPs) such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides and industrial compounds found in (waste)water. In this systematic review, a total of 120 biofiltration studies from 25 countries were analyzed, considering various biofilter configurations, source water types, biofilter media and scales of operation. The study also provides a bibliometric analysis to identify the emerging research trends in the field. The results show that granular activated carbon (GAC) either alone or in combination with another biofiltration media can remove a broad range of OMPs efficiently. The impact of pre-oxidation on biofilter performance was investigated, revealing that pre-oxidation significantly improved OMP removal and reduced the empty bed contact time (EBCT) needed to achieve a consistently high OMP. Biofiltration with pre-oxidation had median removals ranging between 65% and >90% for various OMPs at 10-45 min EBCT with data variability drastically reducing beyond 20 min EBCT. Biofiltration without pre-oxidation had lower median removals with greater variability. The results demonstrate that pre-oxidation greatly enhances the removal of adsorptive and poorly biodegradable OMPs, while its impact on other OMPs varies. Only 19% of studies we reviewed included toxicity testing of treated effluent, and even fewer measured transformation products. Several studies have previously reported an increase in effluent toxicity because of oxidation, although it was successfully abated by subsequent biofiltration in most cases. Therefore, the efficacy of biofiltration treatment should be assessed by integrating toxicity testing into the assessment of overall removal.


Subject(s)
Biodegradation, Environmental , Filtration , Water Pollutants, Chemical , Filtration/methods , Water Purification/methods , Charcoal/chemistry , Wastewater/chemistry
4.
J Sport Rehabil ; 33(7): 570-581, 2024 Sep 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39069291

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT: Horizontal hops can provide insight into how athletes can tolerate high-intensity single-leg stretch loads and are commonly used in athlete monitoring and injury management. Variables like flight, contact, and total time provide valuable diagnostic information to sports science professionals. However, gold-standard assessment tools (eg, 3-dimensional motion capture, force plates) require monetary and technological resources. Therefore, we used a tablet and free software to determine the between-rater, within-rater, and test-retest variability of the temporal events of multiple horizontal hop tests. DESIGN: Reliability study. METHODS: Nine healthy males (20.8 [1.3] y, 71.4 [9.8] kg, 171.7 [4.5] cm) across various university sports teams and clubs volunteered and performed several triple (3-Hop) and quintuple (5-Hop) horizontal hops over 3 testing sessions. Six raters detected temporal events from video to determine between-rater variability, while a single rater quantified within-session and test-retest variability. The temporal variables of flight time, ground contact time for each individual hop, and the total time of each hoping series were determined. The consistency of measures was interpreted using the coefficient of variation and interclass correlation coefficients (ICC). RESULTS: Good to excellent between-rater consistency was observed for all hops (ICC = .85-1.00). Absolute (coefficient of variation ≤ 2.0%) and relative consistency (ICC = .98-1.00) was excellent. Test-retest variability showed acceptable levels of absolute consistency (coefficient of variation ≤ 8.7%) and good to excellent consistency in 10/16 variables (ICC = .81-.93), especially those later in the hopping cycle. CONCLUSIONS: A tablet and free digitizing software are reliable in detecting temporal events during multiple horizontal hops, which could have exciting implications for power diagnostics and return-to-play decisions. Therefore, rehabilitation and performance professionals can confidently utilize the highly accessible equipment from this study to track multiple hop performances.


Subject(s)
Video Recording , Humans , Male , Young Adult , Reproducibility of Results , Exercise Test/methods , Exercise Test/standards , Athletic Performance/physiology , Biomechanical Phenomena
5.
Small ; : e2304635, 2023 Oct 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37786271

ABSTRACT

Rapid detachment of impacting droplets from underlying substrate is highly preferred for mass, momentum, and energy exchange in many practical applications. Driven by this, the past several years have witnessed a surge in engineering macrotexture to reduce solid-liquid contact time. Despite these advances, these strategies in reducing contact time necessitate the elegant control of either the spatial location for droplet contact or the range of impacting velocity. Here, this work circumvents these limitations by designing a dual gradient surface consisting of a vertical spacing gradient made of tapered pillar arrays and a lateral curvature gradient characterized as macroscopic convex. This design enables the impacting droplets to self-adapt to asymmetric or pancake bouncing mode accordingly, which renders significant contact time reduction (up to ≈70%) for a broad range of impacting velocities (≈0.4-1.4 m s-1 ) irrespective of the spatial impacting location. This new design provides a new insight for designing liquid-repellent surfaces, and offers opportunities for applications including dropwise condensation, energy conversion, and anti-icing.

6.
Environ Res ; 222: 115332, 2023 04 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36709874

ABSTRACT

The oil contamination in aquatic system is considered as most serious environmental issues and identifying a suitable ecofriendly solution for this oil pollution management is critical. Hence, this research was designed to evaluate the oils (petrol, diesel, engine oil, and crude oil) adsorptive features through raw lemon grass adsorbent, physically/chemically treated adsorbents. Initially, such raw and treated adsorbents were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. These characterization techniques revealed that the lemon grass adsorbent had considerable level of pollutant adsorption potentials owing to porous morphological structure, active functional groups and pollutants interaction with chemical elements. The physically treated adsorbent exhibited better adsorption characteristics than others. Accordingly, the petrol adsorption potential of raw adsorbent, physically treated and chemically treated ones was discovered as their weight incremented up to 2.0, 3.0, and 1.5 times their initial weight, respectively. Similarly, the weight of raw form, physically and chemically treated ones on diesel had increased significantly, up to 2.5 times, 4.0 times, and 2.0 times, respectively. It was evaluated that the weight of these tested adsorbents on engine oil incremented by 3.5, 5.0, and 3.0 times their initial weight, while on crude oil these incremented by 4.0, 6.0, and 4.0 times their initial weight respectively. When the media are compared, it's indeed evident about absorption which is preferred as follows: Crude oil, engine oil, diesel, and petrol. The physically treated lemon grass adsorbent showed maximum adsorption and retention potential than others. The kinetic study reveals that the pseudo second order kinetics is the best fit for the adsorption of oil with R2 value of 0.99.


Subject(s)
Cymbopogon , Petroleum , Water Pollutants, Chemical , Adsorption , Gasoline , Oils , Kinetics , Water Pollutants, Chemical/chemistry , Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
7.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 117(25): 13901-13907, 2020 06 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32513723

ABSTRACT

Many biological surfaces of animals and plants (e.g., bird feathers, insect wings, plant leaves, etc.) are superhydrophobic with rough surfaces at different length scales. Previous studies have focused on a simple drop-bouncing behavior on biological surfaces with low-speed impacts. However, we observed that an impacting drop at high speeds exhibits more complicated dynamics with unexpected shock-like patterns: Hundreds of shock-like waves are formed on the spreading drop, and the drop is then abruptly fragmented along with multiple nucleating holes. Such drop dynamics result in the rapid retraction of the spreading drop and thereby a more than twofold decrease in contact time. Our results may shed light on potential biological advantages of hypothermia risk reduction for endothermic animals and spore spreading enhancement for fungi via wave-induced drop fragmentation.


Subject(s)
Feathers/chemistry , Models, Theoretical , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Rain , Wettability , Wings, Animal/chemistry , Animals , Birds , Feathers/ultrastructure , Hydrodynamics , Insecta , Plant Leaves/ultrastructure , Time , Wings, Animal/ultrastructure
8.
Sensors (Basel) ; 23(5)2023 Feb 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36904728

ABSTRACT

Ground contact time (GCT) is one of the most relevant factors when assessing running performance in sports practice. In recent years, inertial measurement units (IMUs) have been widely used to automatically evaluate GCT, since they can be used in field conditions and are friendly and easy to wear devices. In this paper we describe the results of a systematic search, using the Web of Science, to assess what reliable options are available to GCT estimation using inertial sensors. Our analysis reveals that estimation of GCT from the upper body (upper back and upper arm) has rarely been addressed. Proper estimation of GCT from these locations could permit an extension of the analysis of running performance to the public, where users, especially vocational runners, usually wear pockets that are ideal to hold sensing devices fitted with inertial sensors (or even using their own cell phones for that purpose). Therefore, in the second part of the paper, an experimental study is described. Six subjects, both amateur and semi-elite runners, were recruited for the experiments, and ran on a treadmill at different paces to estimate GCT from inertial sensors placed at the foot (for validation purposes), the upper arm, and upper back. Initial and final foot contact events were identified in these signals to estimate the GCT per step, and compared to times estimated from an optical MOCAP (Optitrack), used as the ground truth. We found an average error in GCT estimation of 0.01 s in absolute value using the foot and the upper back IMU, and of 0.05 s using the upper arm IMU. Limits of agreement (LoA, 1.96 times the standard deviation) were [-0.01 s, 0.04 s], [-0.04 s, 0.02 s], and [0.0 s, 0.1 s] using the sensors on the foot, the upper back, and the upper arm, respectively.


Subject(s)
Arm , Running , Humans , Upper Extremity , Foot , Back , Biomechanical Phenomena
9.
Small ; 18(13): e2106704, 2022 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35083861

ABSTRACT

Reducing the contact time (tc ) of a droplet impacting a solid surface is crucial in various fields. Superhydrophobic (SHB) surfaces are used to reduce tc at room temperature. However, at high temperatures, SHB surfaces cannot achieve tc reduction because of the failure of the coating materials or the Leidenfrost (LF) effect. Therefore, a surface that can suppress the LF effect and reduce tc at high temperatures is required. To create such a surface, a double-reentrant groove (DRG) array surface with an overhanging structure on top of the microgrooves is developed. The overhanging structure renders the surface hydrophobic (HB). Despite its HB nature, the DRG surface's LF point (LFP) is observed at ≈530 °C, which is higher than the LFP on other HB surfaces. Moreover, a tc smaller than the inertia-capillary limit on the DRG surface is observed at between 400 and 500 °C. Accordingly, the DRG surface is currently the only HB surface for tc reduction at high temperatures. The DRG surface avoids the limitation of low LFPs observed on HB surfaces. Due to its HB properties, the DRG surface is determined to exhibit self-cleaning characteristics and can be used in various applications at high temperatures.


Subject(s)
Surface Properties , Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
10.
BMC Cardiovasc Disord ; 22(1): 194, 2022 04 26.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35473672

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 affects healthcare resource allocation, which could lead to treatment delay and poor outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on AMI outcomes. METHODS: We compared outcomes of patients admitted for acute ST-elevation MI (STEMI) and non-STEMI (NSTEMI) during a non-COVID-19 pandemic period (January-February 2019; Group 1, n = 254) and a COVID-19 pandemic period (January-February 2020; Group 2, n = 124). RESULTS: For STEMI patients, the median of first medical contact (FMC) time, door-to-balloon time, and total myocardial ischemia time were significantly longer in Group 2 patients (all p < 0.05). Primary percutaneous intervention was performed significantly more often in Group 1 patients than in Group 2 patients, whereas thrombolytic therapy was used significantly more often in Group 2 patients than in Group 1 patients (all p < 0.05). However, the rates of and all-cause 30-day mortality and major adverse cardiac event (MACE) were not significantly different in the two periods (all p > 0.05). For NSTEMI patients, Group 2 patients had a higher rate of conservative therapy, a lower rate of reperfusion therapy, and longer FMC times (all p < 0.05). All-cause 30-day mortality and MACE were only higher in NSTEMI patients during the COVID-19 pandemic period (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 pandemic causes treatment delay in AMI patients and potentially leads to poor clinical outcome in NSTEMI patients. Thrombolytic therapy should be initiated without delay for STEMI when coronary intervention is not readily available; for NSTEMI patients, outcomes of invasive reperfusion were better than medical treatment.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Myocardial Infarction , Non-ST Elevated Myocardial Infarction , ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction , Humans , Myocardial Infarction/diagnosis , Myocardial Infarction/epidemiology , Myocardial Infarction/therapy , Non-ST Elevated Myocardial Infarction/diagnosis , Non-ST Elevated Myocardial Infarction/therapy , Pandemics , ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction/diagnosis , ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction/epidemiology , ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction/therapy , Time Factors , Treatment Outcome
11.
BMC Musculoskelet Disord ; 23(1): 586, 2022 Jun 17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35715757

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The potential of auditory feedback for motor learning in the rehabilitation of various diseases has become apparent in recent years. However, since the volume of auditory feedback has played a minor role so far and its influence has hardly been considered, we investigate the volume effect of auditory feedback on gait pattern and gait direction and its interaction with pitch. METHODS: Thirty-two healthy young participants were randomly divided into two groups: Group 1 (n = 16) received a high pitch (150-250 Hz) auditory feedback; group 2 (n = 16) received a lower pitch (95-112 Hz) auditory feedback. The feedback consisted of a real-time sonification of the right and left foot ground contact. After an initial condition (no auditory feedback and full vision), both groups realized a 30-minute habituation period followed by a 30-minute asymmetry period. At any condition, the participants were asked to walk blindfolded and with auditory feedback towards a target at 15 m distance and were stopped 5 m before the target. Three different volume conditions were applied in random order during the habituation period: loud, normal, and quiet. In the subsequent asymmetry period, the three volume conditions baseline, right quiet and left quiet were applied in random order. RESULTS: In the habituation phase, the step width from the loud to the quiet condition showed a significant interaction of volume*pitch with a decrease at high pitch (group 1) and an increase at lower pitch (group 2) (group 1: loud 1.02 ± 0.310, quiet 0.98 ± 0.301; group 2: loud 0.95 ± 0.229, quiet 1.11 ± 0.298). In the asymmetry period, a significantly increased ground contact time on the side with reduced volume could be found (right quiet: left foot 0.988 ± 0.033, right foot 1.003 ± 0.040, left quiet: left foot 1.004 ± 0.036, right foot 1.002 ± 0.033). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that modifying the volume of auditory feedback can be an effective way to improve gait symmetry. This could facilitate gait therapy and rehabilitation of hemiparetic and arthroplasty patients, in particular if gait improvement based on verbal corrections and conscious motor control is limited.


Subject(s)
Gait Disorders, Neurologic , Gait , Feedback , Feedback, Sensory , Humans , Walking , Young Adult
12.
Sensors (Basel) ; 22(9)2022 Apr 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35591141

ABSTRACT

The development of lightweight portable sensors and algorithms for the identification of gait events at steady-state running speeds can be translated into the real-world environment. However, the output of these algorithms needs to be validated. The purpose of this study was to validate the identification of running gait events using data from Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) in a semi-uncontrolled environment. Fifteen healthy runners were recruited for this study, with varied running experience and age. Force-sensing insoles measured normal foot-shoe forces and provided a standard for identification of gait events. Three IMUs were mounted to the participant, two bilaterally on the dorsal aspect of the foot and one clipped to the back of each participant's waistband, approximating their sacrum. The identification of gait events from the foot-mounted IMU was more accurate than from the sacral-mounted IMU. At running speeds <3.57 m s−1, the sacral-mounted IMU identified contact duration as well as the foot-mounted IMU. However, at speeds >3.57 m s−1, the sacral-mounted IMU overestimated foot contact duration. This study demonstrates that at controlled paces over level ground, we can identify gait events and measure contact time across a range of running skill levels.


Subject(s)
Running , Algorithms , Biomechanical Phenomena , Foot , Gait , Humans
13.
J Environ Sci (China) ; 117: 315-325, 2022 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35725085

ABSTRACT

Many drinking water treatment plants in the U.S. have switched from chlorination to chloramination to lower levels of regulated trihalomethane (THM) and haloacetic acid (HAA) disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in drinking water and meet the current regulations. However, chloramination can also produce other highly toxic/carcinogenic, unregulated DBPs: iodo-acids, iodo-THMs, and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). In practice, chloramines are generated by the addition of chlorine with ammonia, and plants use varying amounts of free chlorine contact time prior to ammonia addition to effectively kill pathogens and meet DBP regulations. However, iodo-DBPs and nitrosamines are generally not considered in this balancing of free chlorine contact time. The goal of our work was to determine whether an optimal free chlorine contact time could be established in which iodo-DBPs and NDMA could be minimized, while keeping regulated THMs and HAAs below their regulatory limits. The effect of free chlorine contact time was evaluated for the formation of six iodo-trihalomethanes (iodo-THMs), six iodo-acids, and NDMA during the chloramination of drinking water. Ten different free chlorine contact times were examined for two source waters with different dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and bromide/iodide. For the low DOC water at pH 7 and 8, an optimized free chlorine contact time of up to 1 h could control regulated THMs and HAAs, as well as iodo-DBPs and NDMA. For the high DOC water, a free chlorine contact time of 5 min could control iodo-DBPs and NDMA at both pHs, but the regulated DBPs could exceed the regulations at pH 7.


Subject(s)
Disinfectants , Drinking Water , Iodine , Water Pollutants, Chemical , Ammonia , Chlorine , Dimethylnitrosamine , Disinfection , Trihalomethanes/analysis , Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis
14.
J Sports Sci ; 39(4): 395-405, 2021 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33377421

ABSTRACT

The aim of the study was to compare ground reaction force (GRF) characteristics between the antepenultimate foot contact (APFC), penultimate foot contact (PFC), and final foot contact (FFC), and to examine the relationships between APFC, PFC, and FFC GRF characteristics with 505 change of direction (COD) speed performance. Twenty university male soccer players performed three COD trials, whereby GRFs were collected over the aforementioned foot contacts. Greater peak braking forces in shorter ground contact times were demonstrated over the APFC compared to the PFC and FFC (p ≤ 0.011, d = 0.96-7.82), while APFC mean GRFs were greater than the PFC (p ≤ 0.001, d = 1.86-7.57). Faster 505 performance was associated with greater APFC peak and mean vertical, horizontal, and resultant braking GRFs (r2 = 21.6-54.5%), greater FFC mean HGRFs (r2 = 38.8%), more horizontally orientated peak resultant APFC and PFC GRFs (r2 = 22.8-55.4%), and greater APFC, PFC, and FFC mean horizontal to vertical GRF ratios (r2 = 32.0-61.9%). Overall, the APFC plays a more pivotal role in facilitating deceleration compared to the PFC for effective 505 performance. Practitioners should develop their athletes' technical ability to express force horizontally across all foot contacts and coach braking strategies that emphasise greater magnitudes of posteriorly directed APFC GRFs to facilitate faster 505 performance.


Subject(s)
Biomechanical Phenomena/physiology , Deceleration , Movement/physiology , Soccer/physiology , Task Performance and Analysis , Acceleration , Athletic Performance/physiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Foot/physiology , Humans , Kinetics , Male , Students , Time Factors , Universities
15.
J Sports Sci ; 39(9): 1060-1069, 2021 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33258414

ABSTRACT

This study compared the kinematics (step and joint) and muscle activity of unresisted and active resisted 30 m sprints with different loads (10-40% body mass) in experienced male and female sprinters. Step kinematics were measured using a laser gun and contact mat in 28 male and female participants during unresisted 30 m sprint, and sprints with 10-40% of body mass (BM) active resistance, while peak angular velocities of lower limb was measured, together with muscle activation of nine muscles. Increased resisted loads resulted in slower 30 m times, as a result of lower step velocity mainly caused by shorter step lengths and frequencies, flight times and longer contact times, with a greater effect on women than on men. These step kinematic differences, due to increasing load were accompanied with lower peak joint movements. However, gender differences were only found for peak plantar flexion with unresisted and 10% BM resisted sprints. Furthermore, increasing load decreased calf and hamstring muscles activity, while medial vastus activity increased. Based upon these findings, it was concluded that when introducing active resisted sprints, women should sprint with approximately 10% less active loads than men to have equal step and joint kinematics development over the sprint distance.


Subject(s)
Athletic Performance/physiology , Biomechanical Phenomena/physiology , Muscle, Skeletal/physiology , Resistance Training/methods , Running/physiology , Adult , Analysis of Variance , Body Mass Index , Female , Gait/physiology , Humans , Male , Sex Factors , Weight-Bearing/physiology , Young Adult
16.
Sensors (Basel) ; 21(21)2021 Nov 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34770638

ABSTRACT

This study describes a method for extracting the stride parameter ground contact time (GCT) from inertial sensor signals in sprinting. Five elite athletes were equipped with inertial measurement units (IMU) on their ankles and performed 34 maximum 50 and 100-m sprints. The GCT of each step was estimated based on features of the recorded IMU signals. Additionally, a photo-electric measurement system covered a 50-m corridor of the track to generate ground truth data. This corridor was placed interchangeably at the first and the last 50-ms of the track. In total, 863 of 889 steps (97.08%) were detected correctly. On average, ground truth data were underestimated by 3.55 ms. The root mean square error of GCT was 7.97 ms. Error analyses showed that GCT at the beginning and the end of the sprint was classified with smaller errors. For single runs the visualization of step-by-step GCT was demonstrated as a new diagnostic instrument for sprint running. The results show the high potential of IMUs to provide the temporal parameter GCT for elite-level athletes.


Subject(s)
Running , Athletes , Biomechanical Phenomena , Humans
17.
Sensors (Basel) ; 21(4)2021 Feb 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33672353

ABSTRACT

Vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) can be measured by force plates or instrumented treadmills, but their application is limited to indoor environments. Insoles remove this restriction but suffer from low durability (several hundred hours). Therefore, interest in the indirect estimation of vGRF using inertial measurement units and machine learning techniques has increased. This paper presents a methodology for indirectly estimating vGRF and other features used in gait analysis from measurements of a wearable GPS-aided inertial navigation system (INS/GPS) device. A set of 27 features was extracted from the INS/GPS data. Feature analysis showed that six of these features suffice to provide precise estimates of 11 different gait parameters. Bagged ensembles of regression trees were then trained and used for predicting gait parameters for a dataset from the test subject from whom the training data were collected and for a dataset from a subject for whom no training data were available. The prediction accuracies for the latter were significantly worse than for the first subject but still sufficiently good. K-nearest neighbor (KNN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks were then used for predicting vGRF and ground contact times. The KNN yielded a lower normalized root mean square error than the neural network for vGRF predictions but cannot detect new patterns in force curves.


Subject(s)
Gait , Machine Learning , Walking , Biomechanical Phenomena , Shoes
18.
Pediatr Exerc Sci ; 32(2): 81-88, 2020 05 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31958772

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of a 10-week plyometric training (PT) on the kinematic and kinetic properties of prepubescent girls during squat jump, countermovement jump, and drop jumps. METHODS: Twenty-four untrained girls (aged 9-11 y) were assigned to a training group (TG) and a control group. The TG followed twice a week PT for 10 weeks. Squat jump, countermovement jump, and drop jumps performed from heights of 20, 35, and 50 cm were tested before and after PT. Jump height, kinematic, and kinetic parameters were evaluated using a motion analysis system and a force plate. RESULTS: Jumping height in all jump types increased significantly after PT for the TG (P < .001). After training, the TG presented increased power (P < .001) and knee angular velocity (P < .001), higher knee flexion at the deepest point during the braking phase (P < .001), longer contact time (P < .001), and unchanged stiffness and reaction strength index (P > .05). No differences were observed in the control group (P > .05). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that a 10-week PT positively affected jumping performance in prepubescent girls who improved their drop jump performance after training not by adopting a stiff/bouncing jumping style of short contact time and increased stiffness, but a compliant/absorbing style of prolonged contact time.


Subject(s)
Athletic Performance , Plyometric Exercise , Anthropometry , Biomechanical Phenomena , Child , Exercise Test , Female , Humans , Kinetics , Knee/physiology
19.
J Sports Sci ; 38(20): 2359-2366, 2020 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32627681

ABSTRACT

Successful sprinting depends on covering a specific distance in the shortest time possible. Although external forces are key to sprinting, less consideration is given to the duration of force application, which influences the impulse generated. This study explored relationships between sprint performance measures and external kinetic and kinematic performance indicators. Data were collected from the initial acceleration, transition and maximal velocity phases of a sprint. Relationships were analysed between sprint performance measures and kinetic and kinematic variables. A commonality regression analysis was used to explore how independent variables contributed to multiple-regression models for the sprint phases. Propulsive forces play a key role in sprint performance during the initial acceleration (r = 0.95 ± 0.03) and transition phases (r = 0.74 ± 0.19), while braking duration plays an important role during the transition phase (r = -0.72 ± 0.20). Contact time, vertical force and peak propulsive forces represented key determinants (r = -0.64 ± 0.31, r = 0.57 ± 0.35 and r = 0.66 ± 0.30, respectively) of maximal velocity phase performance, with peak propulsive force providing the largest unique contribution to the regression model for step velocity. These results clarified the role of force and time variables on sprinting performance.


Subject(s)
Athletic Performance/physiology , Running/physiology , Acceleration , Biomechanical Phenomena , Female , Humans , Kinetics , Male , Regression Analysis , Time and Motion Studies
20.
J Sports Sci ; 37(10): 1129-1138, 2019 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30427263

ABSTRACT

Ground reaction force measurements are a fundamental element of kinetic analyses of locomotion, yet they are traditionally constrained to laboratory settings or stationary frames. This study assessed the validity and reliability of a new wireless in-shoe system (Novel Loadsol/Pedoped) for field-based ground reaction force measurement in hopping, walking, and running. Twenty participants bilaterally hopped on a force plate and walked (5 km/hr) and ran (10 km/hr) on an instrumented treadmill on two separate days while wearing the insoles. GRFs were recorded simultaneously on each respective system. Peak GRF in hopping and peak GRF, contact time (CT), and impulse (IMP) in walking and running were compared on a per-hop and step-by-step basis. In hopping, the insoles demonstrated excellent agreement with the force plate (ICC: 0.96). In walking and running, the insoles demonstrated good-to-excellent agreement with the treadmill across all measures (ICCs: 0.88-0.96) and were reliable across sessions (ICCs within 0.00-0.03). A separate verification study with ten participants was conducted to assess a correction algorithm for further agreement improvement but demonstrated little meaningful change in systemic agreements. These results indicated that the Novel Loadsol system is a valid and reliable tool for wireless ground reaction force measurement in hopping, walking, and running.


Subject(s)
Mechanical Phenomena , Running/physiology , Shoes , Walking/physiology , Adult , Female , Gait , Humans , Kinetics , Male , Reproducibility of Results , Wireless Technology/instrumentation , Young Adult
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